2 A-wing escorting...what?

By DerRitter, in X-Wing Squad Lists

Partially inspired by the green arrow topic, I want to fly a 2 A-Wing + something list. The idea is that the A's are escorting some heavy hitter or a pair of bombers. So far I have toyed with:

Green Squadron Pilot (19)
Juke (2)
Proton Rockets (3)
Push the Limit (3)
Hull Upgrade (3)
A-Wing Test Pilot (0)
Green Squadron Pilot (19)
Juke (2)
Proton Rockets (3)
Push the Limit (3)
Hull Upgrade (3)
A-Wing Test Pilot (0)
Poe Dameron (31)
Predator (3)
R5-P9 (3)
Autothrusters (2)
Total: 99
But I'm not sold on Poe yet, so maybe and stressbot and a bandit or something else? Thoughts ?

I'm not convinced Juke is the best choice for a-wings. Yes, push the limit makes it easier to ensure they always get to evade, but throw in proton rockets, and now you are really bursting your ability to keep up with the 'needed' actions: TL + focus for max proton damage; boost for range 1 (to fire the rockets); plus evade for juke. Its just a bit of a stretch. I would think crack shot is more preferrable anyway, because it maximizes rocket damage and increases chances of putting crits on hull.

Crack shot is great on A-wings and is probably better than Juke since you need to make peace with the idea that your A-wings will be the first to die. Juke without Comm Relay isn't so useful on low-health ships ... particularly if you go up against high PS ships that will shoot first and probably force you to spend your evade token before you can use it during your attack with Juke.

A-wings have high agility and can boost into good flanking positions, but you only need to make ONE mistake and they die because 4 health/hit points isn't enough to keep them alive even with 3 green dice. Hull upgrade helps here, but it's just a band-aid for a ship that is going to take hits (and die quickly if at least two enemy ships have it in their primary firing arcs at range 1-2).

I enjoy flying a swarm of 5 A-wings from time to time during my weekly game night but I don't run lists with more than one A-wing anymore in competitive (tournament) play. It's not that A-wings can't be competitive, it's that they are expensive if well equipped and unforgiving of mistakes.

Yes, we should all try to avoid mistakes during tournaments, but mistakes or miscalculations happen to all of us from time to time ... and if I have to spend more than 12-20 points total on a non-unique ship I try to pick ships with enough health (and a 3 primary attack) to handle at least one mistake in a competitive match and still give me a decent chance to win.

60 points is a lot to spend on two generic A-wings since each one will probably die after 1-2 combat phases if at least two enemy ships have one in their primary firing arcs at range 1-2. I would personally try to limit the two generic A-wings to 20-25 points each, or run a single ace A-wing and two Bandits with missiles along with Poe. Maybe something like this:

Poe Dameron + R2-D2 + Predator + Autothrusters (40)
Arvel Crynyd + A-wing Test Pilot + Proton Rockets + Guidance Chips + Crack Shot (27)
Bandit Squadron Pilot + Cluster Missiles + Guidance Chips (16)
Bandit Squadron Pilot + Cluster Missiles + Guidance Chips (16)

Total: 99

This gives you three ships with ordnance backed up by Guidance Chips (plus Crack Shot on Arvel) and leaves you with enough points to put R2-D2 on Poe (better than R5-P9 because you don't "need" to still have an unused focus at the end of the combat phase to regen your shields). Arvel is also GREAT if you learn to ram him into ships that aren't backed up by other enemy ships ... his ability lets him fire on a ship even if he is touching it, and that's a solid ability on an A-wing as long as there isn't another ship that can still fire on you at range 1-2).

This list gives you all that goodness and you still have a 99-point list to "maybe" grab initiative.